A structure for retaining an optical fiber, capable of not only handling a long optical fiber as one piece without causing the optical fiber as a whole to get loose but also reducing an area occupied by the optical fiber and retaining the same stably without causing micro-bending thereof to occur, wherein the optical fiber (1) is arranged so as to form planarly staggered turning portions thereof without causing intersecting parts to occur, a plurality of similar planarly staggered turning portions of the optical fiber being laminated in the same position in the direction of the thickness thereof which is at right angles to a plane on which the optical fiber is arranged, the resultant optical fiber (1) being generally retained in a sheet-like state by a fixing material (2), such as a bonding agent and a film.