Pope Urban III
The earliest written mention of Copenhagen, located on the island of Zealand, was in the 12th century when Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum referred to it as "Portus Mercatorum", meaning Merchants' Harbor or – in the Danish of the time – "Købmannahavn". In 1186, a letter from Pope Urban III states that the castle of "Hafn" (Copenhagen) and its surrounding lands, including the town of Hafn, were given to Absalon by King Valdemar I.