In a historic battle in 1739, Nadir Shah, Emperor of Persia defeated the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in Delhi, India. As the spoils of war, Shah Jahan is forced to give up the famous Koh-hi-noor, the Peacock Throne and two chests of diamonds and rubies. On their return journey through Afghanistan the Persian General entrusted with the chests of diamonds finds them large and cumbersome. He hides the chests in a cave on a cliff and draws a map on calfskin with details in Arabic.
In a surprise attack by Afghan Bandits, among those killed is the General with the calfskin still attached to his belt. An Afghan villager finds it and saves the map thinking it to be a prayer mat.
Fast forward to present day Istanbul, Turkey, where Ralph and Laura are vacationing. On a visit to a famous mosque they rescue a man with knife-wounds who has sought sanctuary in the holy place.
The man, an Iranian, mentions finding a map with an Englishman, Professor Oliver Goldsmith, while exploring the hills of Afghanistan. They have translated the map and know there's a fortune to be found.
When the Iranian disappears, Ralph and Laura take an interest in clues leading to the map and the treasure. With the help of the robotic Butterfly they may beat Oliver in the quest for the richest collection of precious gems. Oliver is willing to kill to get there first.