Ta'liq calligraphy

Islam forbids the depiction of Allah or Muhammed, and therefore the creative and artistic efforts of the various Islamic people groups were expressed through calligraphy and architectural ornamentation. Could the damascus pattern have started simply as an artistic design and (surprise!) found to have superior metallurgical properties? Function following form? This is Farsi script called Ta'liq and popular among Persians, Turks, and Arabs. The repetitive pattern of swirls is similar to 'Turkish' crolle.