UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said on Thursday that her visit to Egypt aims at supporting Egypt's efforts to fight terrorism and protect the Egyptian heritage from terror acts.

In statements to MENA, Bokova said she held a meeting with Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed el Tayyeb and a number of Azhar students to urge them to play a role in conveying the real image of Islam.

She also called for controlling the smuggling of monuments, which are used to finance terrorist acts in the world.

"Religions call for protecting human heritage not destroying it," Bokova said.