Istanbul construction pit mistaken as lake on Google, Apple, Yandex maps
An aerial view of the water accumulated in the foundation of a construction site in the Kadıköy district, Istanbul, Türkiye, March 13, 2024. (AA Photo)


An accumulation of water in the foundation of a construction site in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul has falsely been identified as a lake on digital maps such as Google, Apple and Yandex.

The construction work in the Koşuyolu neighborhood, which started in 2015 with the plan to build a hotel next to the D-100 highway, was halted by a court decision in 2016 after the company dug the foundation.

For the past eight years, nothing has been done to the area, and it has filled with water. The appearance of the water-filled pit, resembling a small lake from the air, tricked the Google, Apple and Yandex digital map applications. The maps identified the area filled with water as a "lake."

More recently, the water accumulated in the pit at the construction site has started to be drained, according to recent drone footage.