Restoration Stela
| Restoration Stela | |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious decree |
| Material | Red granite |
| Size | Height: 2.54m Width: 1.29m Thickness: 0.38m |
| Writing | Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs |
| Created | c. 1327 BC (4th year of Tutankhamun reign) |
| Period/culture | Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt New Kingdom of Egypt |
| Discovered | July 1905 Great Hypostyle Hall, Egypt |
| Discovered by | George Legrain |
| Present location | Egyptian Museum |
The Restoration Stela, also known as the Restoration Stela of Tutankhamun, is an ancient Egyptian text from the reign of pharaoh Tutankhamun decreeing the religiopolitical countermand of the Atenism religion of the pharaoh Akhenaten. It is a record of the governmental policy change wherein Atenism was officially repealed, and the original, indigenous religion of ancient Egypt was reinstated. It was discovered in 1905 by Egypologist Georges Legrain in fragmented condition.
In overview, the writing details the deplorable conditions of the polytheistic religious institutions and society overall during the Atenism era, and how the pharaoh Tutankhamun enacted a system of revitalizing those religious institutions and reharmonizing society. These policies included various architectural and employment renovations.
Egyptologist Ray Johnson referred to Tutankhamun's reign as "one of the greatest periods of restoration in the history of Egypt".