Why was medieval Islamic architecture so much more advanced and beautiful than Christian structures of the time?

This is very old bait, don't praise it.

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What is truly beautiful is seeing so many churches being converted to mosques.

Allahu Ackbar.

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBB0702555F2D4B55

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nice counter bait

>why [insert nonsensical question grounded on a false premise and designed to provoke hotheaded but essentially thoughtless debate]

Classic form.

To give a serious answer to obvious bait, because the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean was able to proliferate knowledge of Classical mathematics to architects and builders, whereas Northern Europe's builders built things through practical apprenticeship and experience.

In practice this only meant that Eastern and Southern buildings were more mathematically advanced. You don't actually have to understand advanced physics and geometry to figure out load bearing and develop some craftsmanship.

It also helped that for several centuries the South and East had far richer states allowing them to build more monumental architecture for a time, until the financial network of the Catholic Church began to catch up sometime in the 11th century. When it came to common or even military architecture the West and North could be very advanced simply through experimentation as they had far more accessible and varied building materials for cheap.

Most "Islamic" architecture is heavily heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture

You are aware the OP's pic is of the Hagia Sophia right?

The better, non bait question:

How the fuck the Mesoamericans had urban planning and architecture on par with Europe's at the time and for the Aztecs, outright superior waterworks and hydroculture techniques despite all of them not having effective metal tools or beasts of burden.

Tenochtitlan went from being founded to having a population on par with Consitantople in under 200 years and according to Spainish accounts, more impressive temples, palaces, gardens then anything in europe, venice tier canals, causeways, and dykes, and resential homes on par with what was in Madrid.

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It's worth pointing out that Mesoamerican civilization was around for like two millennia before the conquistadors showed up.

We just don't know most of its history.

>How the fuck the Mesoamericans had urban planning and architecture on par with Europe's at the time and for the Aztecs, outright superior waterworks and hydroculture techniques despite all of them not having effective metal tools or beasts of burden.

It's amazing what you can do with some copper tools, some good organization and secret alien technology.

oocities.org/unforbidden_geology/ancient_egyptian_copper_slabbing_saws.html

You realize it is a museum now.

I don't see where aliens play into this

they had superior waterworks in place of beasts of burden. you don't need pack animals or carts when you boat everything around.

also, they had perfectly functional cold-forged copper tools in common use.

My understanding was while they could and did work copper, they mainly used it for ceremonial/religious purposes as well as currency rather then as tools

You cannot build society of greatness without little wewuzing and obvious memes. That's fact.

my ancestors :)

but they're both christian architecture?