"Town of Twins"
Almedina (left) and Ajla Djulic live in the picturesque town of Buzim. The sisters are just one of many twins who live in the isolated community.
There were at least 21 sets of twins born in the town of 20,000 people during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. There may be many more, given the rate of migration due to poverty and unemployment. Local journalist, Nedzib Vucelj, is investigating the phenomenon and has his sights set on declaring the area the "Town of Twins".
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When Nedzib Vucelj's wife Emira gave birth to twins at the height of the Bosnian war, it was impossible to buy a suitable baby stroller: their hometown of Buzim was surrounded by rival armies.
Vucelj tried to borrow from a neighbour, but they had lent theirs to another family with twins. When Vucelj knocked at their door, he was told it had already passed to a third family, also with twins.
"That's when I realised just how many twins were here"
Trying to track down Buzim's twins scattered around the world, Vucelj launched a Facebook page. Based on initial responses, he believes he has tracked down some 200 pairs.
According to medical statistics worldwide, one set of twins can be expected every 88 births, said doctors in the regional Bihac hospital. Based on their records for the past five years, Buzim is not exceptional, but the data are incomplete.
Given the town's isolation, the majority of women before and during the war gave birth at home, and many records have been lost. Locals are convinced there is a longstanding tradition of twins in the town, a five-hour drive from the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
“I remember the years when nearly each class in the school had twins” said Zumreta Hodzic, a municipal birth registrar.
Kemal Dizdarevic, an unemployed father of 17-month-old twin boys, said there was a history of twins in his family and his wife's.
"Maybe they will be sportsmen," said Dizdarevic, who has created a miniature basketball game to entertain the energetic toddlers. "They can become anything, just not politicians."