Cultural Milestones

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Magnificently sophisticated geometric patterns in medieval Islamic architecture indicate their designers achieved a mathematical breakthrough 500 years earlier than Western scholars, scientists said on Thursday.

By the 15th century, decorative tile patterns on these masterpieces of Islamic architecture reached such complexity that a small number boasted what seem to be "quasicrystalline" designs, Harvard University's Peter Lu and Princeton University's Paul Steinhardt wrote in the journal Science.

Cultural checklist:

*Establish Arabic as language of international scholarship?

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*Accomplish mathematical breakthroughs?

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*Produce great art?

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*Kill daughters for wearing jeans?

d'oh!