  We report the discovery of an X-ray pulsar AX J1740.1-2847 from the Galactic
center region. This source was found as a faint hard X-ray object on 7--8
  September 1998 with the ASCA Galactic center survey observation. Then,
coherent pulsations of P=729 +/- 14 sec period were detected. The
  X-ray spectrum is described by a flat power-law of ~= 0.7 photon index. The
large absorption column of log NH ~= 22.4
  (cm^-2) indicates that AX J1740.1-2847 is a distant source, larger than 2.4
kpc, and possibly near at the Galactic center region. The luminosity in the
2--10 keV band is larger than 2.5 x 10^33 erg/s, or likely to be 3.2 x 10^34
erg/s at the Galactic center distance. Although the slow pulse period does not
discriminate whether AX J1740.1-2847 is a white dwarf or neutron star binary,
the flat power-law and moderate luminosity strongly favor a neutron star
binary.
