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ACT I
Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman, arrives at the Pasha’s cars on the Orient Express, about to depart from Istanbul for Paris. He seeks his beloved Konstanze, his servant Pedrillo, and Konstanze’s servant Blonde, all of whom have been captured by pirates and sold to the Pasha—Konstanze for the Pasha’s harem, Blonde as a gift for the watchman Osmin, and Pedrillo as a servant.
Osmin storms off as Pedrillo comes to tell Belmonte that Konstanze is alive and faithful to him. Pedrillo and Belmonte hide as Konstanze and the Pasha appear, greeted by a chorus of praise. The Pasha is wooing Konstanze, and she replies that her heart is already taken.
Pedrillo presents Belmonte to the Pasha as an architect. All the good conspirators are inside the palace to plan their escape, but Konstanze and Blonde do not yet know that Belmonte has arrived.
ACT II
Osmin threatens Blonde, who resists and challenges him. Konstanze continues to resist the Pasha, saying she prefers torture or death.
Pedrillo tells Blonde, who tells Konstanze, that Belmonte has arrived.
 Pedrillo bolsters his courage with a battle song, and then drugs Osmin with wine, as they sing “Vivat Bacchus.”
Belmonte and Konstanze are reunited in a duet, then joined by Pedrillo and Blonde.
ACT III
Pedrillo and Belmonte plan a classic escape involving ladders, windows, ceilings, train compartments, and hallways, plus a serenade as a signal. At their first attempt, they are caught by Osmin and the guards and turned over to the Pasha.
Belmonte tells the Pasha that he comes from a noble Spanish family. His father is the Commandant of Oran—the Pasha’s worst enemy. Belmonte and Konstanze sing a passionate farewell duet, expecting the Pasha to kill them both.
The Pasha decides to be lenient, to demonstrate that he is different from his enemy. To Osmin’s surprise and disappointment, he frees Blonde as well as Belmonte and Konstanze.
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