The highest seat of Sunni learning has called on the world to save Syria's ancient city of Palmyra from destruction by the Islamic State militants who seized the ancient city on Wednesday.
"The destruction of world heritage sites like Palmyra and the smuggling of looted ancient artefacts is forbidden by Islam," Egypt's Al-Azhar institution in Cairo said in a statement on Thursday.
"The international community needs to mobilise in a hurry to stop the Islamic State militiamen from obliterating the cradle of civilisation."
IS could wreak the kind of devastation on Palmyra that its fighters had inflicted on pre-Islamic sites in Iraq warned the Al-Azhar, referring to the ancient cities of Hatra and Nimrud.
"This is a battle for the whole of humanity," the Al-Azhar said.
The 2,000-year-old Unesco World Heritage site is considered among the most important of the Middle East, the Al-Azhar said.
One report from the region on Thursday claimed IS fighters had already begun destroying Palmyra. The Samanews website, which is close to Palestinian militant group Hamas, quoted residents as saying they had heard "large explosions" inside the ancient temples.
Dating back to the 1st and 2nd Century, Palmyra rose to prominence when the region was under Roman rule. Its grand, colonnaded street and ancient temples previously attracted thousands of tourists.
IS sparked international outrage this year when they destroyed ancient sites in Iraq that pre-date Islam, notably Hatra and Nimrud and smashed treasures in the museum of Mosul.
