Checkout https://textpattern.com/ - its development started around the same time as WordPress, and still continues. Even though it didn't reach Wordpress' success, I've always felt that TextPattern is better coded than WordPress.
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Throwing my recommendation for ProcessWire CMS. I switched to it 10 years ago and made a YouTube series around that time that compares it to WordPress. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOrdUWNK38ibz8U_5Vq4z...
Thanks for the reminder! I loved Textpattern. Should check it out again.