Kız Kulesi, or Maiden’s Tower, an iconic structure off the coast of Istanbul’s Asian side, was demolished, according to social media rumors. A video circulating online purportedly showed there was nothing behind a tall cover encircling the landmark that has been under restoration since last year.

Local authorities in Istanbul were quick to deny the rumors. They said only a part of the ancient structure was removed and not an original section of the landmark.

"Maiden’s Tower will serve as a monument and a museum in the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye," said a statement by the Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums, which oversees the restoration.

Officials also shared photos of damaged parts of the building that had to be removed for restoration, citing that these were "concrete walls added later after a fire in the 1940s."

"The concrete addition is being removed from the main structure based on reports that say it would not endure earthquakes and in line with universal preservation principles, and the work is underway for (restoration) adhering to the authentic material the building is built of," the statement said.

Professor Zeynep Ahunbay, an academic from Istanbul Technical University's (ITU) Faculty of Architecture, who serves on an advisory council for restoration, told reporters on Monday that crews removed a part "that needed to be removed."

"Everything is fine. The work was done appropriately. Reinforcing the structure is not a quick job and requires multiple techniques," she told reporters.

The Maiden’s Tower is located on an islet 200 meters (656 feet) off the coast of Istanbul's Üsküdar district. First built in 1110 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus, the structure was renovated to its current state in the late 1720s and served as an observation tower during the Ottoman Empire. A symbol of Üsküdar, an ancient district full of Ottoman-era landmarks, Maiden’s Tower is among the few Byzantine-era structures in the district still standing. Byzantine troops were garrisoned at the tower when Sultan Mehmed II made his push toward the city, which earned him the title of Fatih (Conqueror) in 1453. In the sultan’s time and later, it was used as an observation tower, a site for quarantining the sick and serving as a simple lighthouse. It was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1509 and damaged in a fire in 1721. It was restored and later reconstructed in the 18th century. It underwent another restoration in the 1990s, roughly around the time its fame was revived after it served as the setting of the launching point for a villain’s plot in the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough." Since the early 2000s, it has been serving as a posh restaurant, accessible only via boats from Üsküdar's shore.